Marvel comics kills off beloved Professor X, founder of X-Men

LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - Professor X, the Marvel comic book character who formed and led the superhero mutant team known as X-Men, has been killed off.

The latest issue of comic book Avengers Vs X-Men, out on Wednesday, saw the wheelchair bound and telepathic character, whose full name is Charles Xavier, get killed by Cyclops, a member of his very own X-Men team.

"When we first crafted 'Avengers Vs X-Men,' we didn't set out to kill any characters, but as the story progressed it became obvious that this had to be the last stand of Charles Xavier," Axel Alonso, editor-in-chief of Marvel Entertainment, said in a statement.

"Rest assured his death will reverberate across the Marvel Universe, leading into major launches like Uncanny Avengers and All-New X-Men this fall," Alonso added.