Warning! Spoilers Ahead for X-Manhunt Omega #1!

It's official: The X-Men have lost their mentor of the past six decades, Professor Charles Xavier. However, even though the professor has announced his retirement from the mutant cause, no one stays gone for good within the Marvel Universe. Professor X has been a staple hero of the X-Men franchise for years, which makes it unlikely that this latest change to the status quo will be permanent.

A character as influential as the founder of the X-Men would never leave the pages indefinitely.

In X-Manhunt Omega #1–by Gail Simone, Murewa Ayodele, Enid Balám, Gleb Melnikov, Federica Mancin, Brian Reber, and Travis Lanham–the hunt for Professor X comes to an end as Charles Xavier and his now revived wife, Lilandra of the Shi’ar Empire set off to rescue their daughter.

However, Xavier refuses to leave on bad with his X-Men as he returns to Earth to say his final goodbyes to the heroes and announce his permanent retirement. In his declaration of his retirement, he entrusts his X-Men with leading mutant-kind into its next era without him.

Professor X Has Officially Retired From the X-Men (But He Won’t Be Gone Forever)

X-Manhunt Omega #1 – Written By Gail Simone & Murewa Ayodele; Art By Enid Balám, Gleb Melnikov, & Federica Mancin; Color By Brian Reber; Letters By Travis Lanham

Charles Xavier first appeared in The X-Men #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as the leader of the original team: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel, and Iceman. After decades at the helm, Professor X is now receiving a grand send-off, leaving his X-Men family for good. While this crossover marks the professor’s departure, comics have always maintained a sense of homeostasis, where the status quo ultimately returns to its original state. That’s not to say characters can’t evolve, but there will always be X-Men, and Charles Xavier will remain forever linked to both the mutant heroes and mutant-kind.

Marvel has “retired” many of their heroes, yet the characters who have had a massive impact on Marvel stories and the fan base always inevitably return to their original intended role. Steve Rogers was slated to retire, with him ing down the Captain America mantle to Sam Wilson in 2012’s Captain America #25. However, this retirement was short-lived when the old Steve Rogers regained his youth during the 2016 Avengers: Standoff! crossover event. A character as influential as the founder of the X-Men will never leave the pages indefinitely, and Marvel has already announced that it’s not done with him.

Professor X's Departure is Not the End: The Legacy Continues

The Return of Charles Xavier in the Imperial Saga

Although Professor X seems to be leaving his life on Earth, fans needn't fear the professor being lost within Marvel history, as his story is far from over, and it has already been announced that Professor X will return in Jonathan Hickman’s Imperial saga. Charles Xavier and Lilandra still need to save their daughter, and Imperial is seeing their journey through. However, in his absence, Xavier leaves the task of building a new school to Cyclops and the rest of the mutant heroes on Earth, but this story of rebuilding the next generation is nothing new for the X-Men.

The likelihood that Xavier will remain away from the X-Men is nearly nonexistent, especially considering the loopholes in his goodbye to his former students, particularly when he says, “If you are ever at the edge of eternity, our door is never locked – to any of you.” With the X-Men potentially building a new school, Xavier’s desire to always be a professor may finally come to fruition once more. While the X-Men and the status quo have undeniably changed, Marvel knows that Professor Xavier’s retirement from mentoring mutant-kind will surely be short-lived.

X-Manhunt Omega #1 is available now from Marvel Comics!